Rumeal Speaks His Mind

Mark Snyder has a piece in the Free Press with Rumeal Robinson who is due back in town this weekend for the 1989 reunion. Rumeal gives his 2 cents on Steve Fisher, the Fab Five, Ed Martin, and NCAA violations. His answers will raise some eyebrows to say the least.Â Here are a few highlights:

“That got a lot of attention. At the end they got to take down all the accolades they got and worked hard for, but it wasn’t like they were using steroids. Somebody helped out somebody with some money.

Fisher’s firing in 1997, in part, because Martin (a Detroit booster but not an alum) provided money to several Wolverines: “Knowing Steve Fisher, I don’t think he knew anything about any of that. He wouldn’t put himself in that position. Coach Frieder, now he might have. Frieder cared a little bit more than Fisher.

“The NCAA may need to give some money for the players.”

“You got nine pros and none of them left school early? If you’re taking care of players the right way, you understand the process to make it work. Otherwise, a player’s got to go out and look for help, it’s going to happen” like with the Martin scandal.

Robinson did not hesitate when discussing his era in college basketball, but he also was cautious about being specific about himself and his teammates.

“Coaches need to keep their jobs,” he said. “How do you compete against Duke? How do they get those players? Have you been to Durham? Who wants to go there? If you can get them and be successful and your program can go forward, you can do well.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got to win, baby; you can’t come in second. C-Webb, Jalen, those guys were great, but you’ve got to win. You can’t go back. It’s not like the pros where you have 15 years and have the opportunity to win. You have four years.”